The Rest Of The Stack

Superman: Secret Origin #1

Geoff Johns (Writer), Gary Frank (Pencils), Jon Sibal (Inks)

The Good and the Bad: Superman: Secret Origin is a near perfect “jump-on point” for those who haven’t picked up a Superman book in a long time. In this new mini-series Geoff Johns and Gary Frank don’t offer us a mere summary of how Superman came to be, instead they give us a funny and moving coming-of-age story of a small town boy that transitions from adolescent to a young man aware of his capabilities. However, since this is a story about Superman after all, Johns and Frank waste no time jumping straight to the superhero scenes. Right away they gives us the superhero puberty scenes, showing Clark realizing his powers in the most common teenage boy ways. From realizing his bone-breaking strength on the field, to his premature heat discharges with Lana, Johns and Frank win big in drawing the similarities of a hero in the making and the familiar and awkward moments of a young boy. Even though the pacing may be unfolding a little too quickly, we get a much-needed background on how Superman came to be. This is definitely worth checking out.

Grade: A-

-Raymond Hilario

Avengers: The Initiative #28

Christos N. Gage (Writer), Rafa Sandoval (Pencils), Roger Bonet (Inks), and Edgar Delgado (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: Avengers: The Initiative is one series that’s definitely making the most of the whole Dark Reign thing. As the Avengers Resistance assembles to help some like-minded Initiative members in need, it’s hard not to smile as the whole Marvel sandbox concept gets used to full effect. On a technical level, Avengers: The Initiative #28 is a winner. Christos Gage does a fine job of cramming in some really nice character work among all the clever action. The artists prove that they are certainly up to the task of handling anything (and anyone) that Gage throws at them in an entertaining, slightly chaotic way. That said, it’s unfortunate that the impressive artwork, as a whole, doesn’t really fit the surprisingly dark script all that well. Simply put, it’s too lively and vibrant for the story being told.

Grade: B

The Darkness/Pitt #2

Paul Jenkins (Writer), Dale Keown (Pencils & Inks), and Frank D’Armata (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: I never would have considered the likeable Jackie Estacado to be a racist homophobe until reading The Darkness/Pitt #2, but, Paul Jenkins’ questionable character work aside, the Top Cow mini-series is proving to be a fun, violent romp. The dialogue between Pitt, Estacado, and Timmy is mostly entertaining in that “odd couple” type of way and Dale Keown’s slick, polished artwork is elevated by Frank D’Armata’s moody, dark colors. If you don’t mind a generic, forgettable plot, give the mini-series a look at some point if you are in the mood for something with that special “90s” vibe.

Grade: C+

No Hero #7

Warren Ellis (Writer), Juan Jose Ryp (Art), and Digikore Studios (Colors)

The Good and the Bad: Whoa! That’s the word that comes to mind when I think about the conclusion to No Hero. Warren Ellis throws a very cool curveball into the plot that makes main character Josh Carver infinitely more interesting as a character. The downside is that the brutal, violent ending pretty much puts the kibosh on any more exploration of the very character that you’re probably going to want to follow a bit more (though a prequel might work…). Oh well. At least Ellis ends things with one hell of a finish, mostly thanks to the incredibly disturbing, disgusting, detailed artwork provided by the talented Juan Jose Ryp. Whether you want it to or not, because of Ryp’s work, No Hero #7 will stick in your mind for quite some time.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

No Hero #6 – Review

By Warren Ellis (Writer), Juan Jose Ryp (Artist), and Digikore Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Warren Ellis’ twisted tale about the price of being superhuman is not for the faint of heart. For those looking for something a bit on the brutal side will find a lot to like about No Hero.

The Story: Carrick has been keeping secrets from Josh. As it turns out, Josh isn’t such a fan of the truth…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: No Hero #6 is a predictable, gratuitously violent comic that’s over far too quickly and, in some ways, delivers too little, too late. Now, with that said, it’s also a comic that’s a hell of a lot of fun and a great example of how execution can make all the difference in the world when a creative team is firing on all cylinders. Make sense?

Warren Ellis manages to overcome the generic revelations about Carrick’s superhuman team by giving the razor sharp dialogue a sense of weight and scope. Carrick is written with such a wit and arrogance that it becomes easy to accept Ellis’ alternate version of history as well as the very foundation of what No Hero is all about. In addition, Josh becomes realistically distant and disappointed as the information he receives begins to sink in. And that’s when Juan Jose Ryp truly takes over.

Simply put, you haven’t seen the type of violence that Ryp delivers. It’s disturbing, it’s ridiculously over the top, and it’s downright disgusting at times. It’s also filled with impressive details and leaves quite an impression. But violence is not all Ryp can do. He’s also quite a storyteller and character artist. While Ryp’s unique panel layout occasionally makes following along a bit difficult, it’s a minor complaint when the visuals hit with such force.

Conclusion: Despite a few wonky looking scenes and a less than surprising plot twist, No Hero #6 manages to deliver almost everything I’ve been waiting for. It’s smart, it’s brutal, and it’s very entertaining.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

No Hero #3 – Review

By Warren Ellis (writer), Juan Jose Ryp (artist)

The Story: Vigilante Josh Carver really, really wants to be a superhuman.  So much in fact, that he is willing to ingest drugs without question and endure a hallucinogenic nightmare that would make Dante’s Inferno seem like a picnic in the park.  He may have picked a bad time to realize his dreams though, because there is somebody out there who knows exactly what the members of the Front Line have become.

The Good: Juan Jose Ryp is Ellis’s secret weapon, bringing his stories for Avatar to life with art that is both detailed and dynamic.  You only need to admire Ryp’s four, double-page spreads in this issue to see what I mean.  His style is reminiscent of Geoff Darrow’s, but deliberately holds back from that manic level of detail and intricacy to better convey the action Ellis’ stories often call for.  I have been watching Ryp pencil Ellis’ stories ever since Angel Stomp Future in 2005, and I have been delighted to see his style flourish and improve since then.  It won’t be long before the Big Two come to court his talents, and I can’t wait to see him break into the mainstream.

The Not So Good: The tagline to this series asks “how much do you want to be a superhuman?” However it has failed to answer the question in a meaningful way.  This issue was actually the first time I could recall Ellis even attempting to address the theme, and that’s unlike him.  This brings up a larger problem I’m having with this series: it’s utterly failing to get to the point.  It’s not quite a meditation on the price of being more than human, and not yet a murder mystery.  It’s getting there, but my god, we’re halfway through the arc now and he’s barely discussed the ideas that he built this story around, and that’s unacceptable for a writer of Ellis’s caliber.

Conclusion: I’m quickly losing interest in this series, but Ryp’s art is truly a thing to be admired.  If Ellis has a point to make, even if that point is simply to entertain the reader, I wish he’d get to it already.

Grade: C-

-Tony Rakittke